The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the declared intention of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election while remaining a member of the PDP as “nothing less than a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.”
In a statement on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said Wike’s posture raises broader concerns about democratic norms and internal party discipline, arguing that publicly aligning with a rival political platform while retaining membership of another party undermines the foundations of representative democracy.
The party said the conduct was consistent with what it described as a longstanding pattern of political provocation by the former Rivers State governor.
According to the PDP, Wike’s attitude is not new, noting that he has, over the years, acted as a constant agent provocateur within the political space, frequently generating internal crises which, the party alleged, served to advance personal political interests rather than collective goals.
The statement recalled Wike’s involvement in successive leadership disputes within the PDP, from earlier national chairmanship contests to more recent internal disagreements, describing these episodes as evidence of a recurring approach marked by confrontation and internal destabilisation.
The party also pointed to developments in Rivers State during Wike’s tenure as governor, including internal party disputes and controversial political decisions, as further examples of what it termed a pattern of exclusionary and disruptive politics.
The PDP said recent public comments by the minister, in which he openly expressed support for a rival political platform, have now clarified his political alignment and intentions, leaving little room for ambiguity about his position within the party.
While reiterating its commitment to internal reform and party unity, the PDP said it remains focused on rebuilding its structures and preparing for future electoral contests, adding that no individual, regardless of status, can personalise or hold the party hostage.
The statement reads: “Since he assumed power as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, Wike has been a recurrent troublemaker in the leadership of the PDP. From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later, he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarised the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.
“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle. Beyond the national leadership crises, his actions within Rivers State further illustrate this pattern.
“The imposition of candidates, internal exclusionary practices, and the unprecedented prevention of a duly nominated PDP presidential candidate from campaigning in a PDP-controlled state remain troubling departures from democratic norms.
“Wike’s politics thrives on perpetual conflict, feeding on attention and seeking relevance through calculated disruption and, when starved of attention, seeks to destroy everything.”
